1.   KIWI

The kiwifruit or Chinese gooseberry is the edible berry of a woody vine in the genus Actinidia. It comes from China. The plant is a bush with white or red blossoms.

Cultivation

Kiwi grows in fertile and moist soil. In order for the kiwi to thrive, it needs areas with mild winters and humid summers. Farmers seed the plant in the spring and they collect the kiwi in October. Today kiwi is cultivated in Europe mostly in France and Italy. In Greece it is cultivated in Pieria, Fthiotida,Pella, Imathia, Arta and Preveza. Also, in the area of Keramoti and in the nearby villages there are many fields with kiwi.

Nutritional Value

This fruit contains potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, fibers and minerals. It has also got more vitamin C in relation to other fruit, even more than orange. The fact that it contains many vitamins makes the fruit one of the best means of protection against germs and bacteria.

Source: https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ακτινίδιο 

George G. class A1

Kiwi-banana juice

Η Νικολέτα Π. κι ο Ρομάριο Ρ.,μαθητές του τμήματος Α2΄ μας περιγράφουν τη συνταγή του χυμού με ακτινίδιο,μπανάνα και πορτοκάλι.

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Ingredients

• 2 kiwis
• 1 banana
• 1 orange
• a spoon of honey

1. Cut the kiwis and a banana into pieces.
2. Squeeze the orange.
3. Put the pieces of the fruit and the orange juice into the blender.
4. Add a spoon of honey.
5.  Beat the mixture.
6. Serve the juice into a glass.
7. Enjoy it with ice cubes!

   Nikoleta P. class A2

2. HONEY OF THASOS

Apiculture is highly developed in Thasos island. The pine and the flowers of myrtle, willow and chestnut are rich food for the bees that collect the nectar of the flowers. They carry it in their cells, where they enrich it with their own substances. The bees store it in the honeycombs where it matures. Honey is a natural product made with pure manner. They gather it in the spring and then in the summer. Afterwards, the beekeepers of Thasos pack it using environmentally friendly processes and make it available in every part of the island. Also, independent producers sell the honey throughout the island. Other honey products are the honeycomb, propolis and royal jelly. In addition, you can buy beeswax and pollen.

The traditional sweets of Thasos have a special taste because they are made with traditional honey of excellent quality produced by local beekeepers. The most famous of these is the walnut. It is made from walnuts that are harvested early in the spring before they have a hard shell. They are processed and they become a delicious and nutritious dessert. Another delicious sweet is the fig. The figs are collected from July to September.

In addition, honey can be eaten with bread, milk or tea.

Benefits to human health

For millennia honey is one of the most important medicine of nature. From the ancient Egyptians, Sumerians, the Babylonians, the Syrians and Hittites added honey in their diet as a therapeutic means. Hippocrates says that people who eat honey have more vivid skin color. Pythagoras claimed that honey eliminates fatigue and Democritus attributed his old age to honey.

Although bee products are not medicine and cannot substitute them, they are able to help the body fight the disease that plagues it.

Honey has significant antimicrobial effect. Also, because of its low water content honey inhibits the growth of bacteria and fungi. When it is placed on wounds, it helps the infected tissue to dehydrate and prevents the growth of infectious factors. The analgesic, healing and anti-inflammatory action of honey was known to the ancients, who used it to treat any kind of trauma or illness or injury. Honey fights inflammation without causing side effects in the body. By spreading honey on the wounds regression of inflammation, reduction of swelling and great pain reduction are observed. Honey contains many ingredients with strong antioxidant effect. The amount and type will depend on the crop and geographical origin of honey. Honey with darker color contains bigger amounts of antioxidants.

Anastasia K. class A1

3. ASPARAGUS

 Asparagus is a plant grown in northern Greece, mainly in the prefectures of Pella, Imathia, Kavala and Evros. Asparagus are multiplied by seeds and transplantation. Farmers seed asparagus in spring. They wait three years to start collecting the first crop. Asparagus are harvested in March. There are green and white asparagus depending on growing out of or in the soil. In France and Germany people prefer eating white asparagus while in the U.S.A. they enjoy eating green ones. They contain vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin E, folic acid and phosphorus. That’s why they are healthy food. You can cook them with rice or you can make an omelet with them. You can also cook them with other vegetables or you can make a nutritious salad with them. In Keramoti and in the nearby villages many farmers cultivate asparagus. Most of them are exported abroad.

Source and photos: Local farmers of Keramoti

Dimitra, class A1